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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — happy
  9. lie — to recline
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — a series
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com